30 July 18 • 2019 jn theater/music arts&life SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Festival of Plays Two Jewish playwrights take the stage with their short theater pieces. Coming Home Singer/songwriter Jesse Palter launches new album in Detroit. S tephen Sussman has been seen in many community theater roles over recent years, and one had him in the cast of Swashbucklers, a play written by Myron Stein and staged by Playwrights@Work, a group within The Village Players. As Sussman learned his part, he also learned about the group, formed by scriptwriters holding monthly meetings to provide feedback for each other’ s projects. Twice a year, a selection committee chooses works to be performed publicly as staged readings or full productions. Sussman, who earns his living as an architect, decided to try his hand at writing and joined the group. This summer, both Stein and Sussman will be represented as five one-act theater pieces are staged. Stein’ s play, Mystic Pavilion, has to do with a conflict between a park ranger and a politician holding conflicting ideas about the future of a popular dance pavilion. First written as a short story published in Green’ s Magazine, the piece was transformed into stage material as Stein focused his attention on scripts. Sussman’ s play, Stavros’ Chili, is a comedy about a retired restaurateur interviewed by a local cable reporter who experiences unexpected results from try- ing the chili. The 2019 Festival of Plays runs Friday- Sunday, July 26-28, in the Birmingham theater of The Village Players. “I love creating characters and situa- tions, ” says Stein, 77 of Southfield. “ As I’ m working on each play, I think about it all the time. ” A former teacher, Stein’ s entry into writing started 16 years ago with chil- dren’ s books and then moved into play- writing. His short theater pieces have been staged at many festivals around the country, including A Fish Market on D Street at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, The Haberdasher’ s Apprentice at the Valley Repertory Company in Connecticut and The Pink Nude at the Magnolia Arts Center in North Carolina. Active with Congregation Beth Shalom and the Jewish Community Center, Stein has had Jewish subjects in some of his work. Louie’ s One and Only, for example, is about two men in a senior residence, and it was presented at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park. For this summer’ s production, Stein has chosen Pam Dundas as the director. Sussman, who joined Playwrights@ Work in 2010, has been acting since 2003. He is also directing this summer’ s production of his play. “I took theater classes when I was a student at Michigan State, ” says Sussman, 69, and a resident of Bloomfield Township. “It was much later when my wife and kids were in a production of Fiddler on the Roof, and they needed some men for the cast. My wife drafted me, and I got started acting once again. ” Sussman has found special value in writing. “It’ s exciting and exhilarating to hear my written words spoken on stage, ” says Sussman, formerly active with the B’ nai J ust as Jesse Palter launched her singing-composing career in Metro Detroit, she is launching public performances of songs from her new recording back in the same area. Palter’ s album, Paper Trail, the first with only her original music and lyrics, often relates to Michigan experienc- es. She considers this project special because Mack Avenue Records also launched in Detroit. The record release party takes place Tuesday, July 23, at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, shortly after Paper Trail was chosen Album of the Week by LA Weekly. “It’ s important for this show to be a homecoming moment when I can feel the energy of my family and friends, ” says Palter, now based in Los Angeles, but who got her start here at age 5 with musical theater, and then jazz band and songwriting in high school. “I just can’ t wait to see all of my hometown people who have been following my career. “I’ ll be using a Detroit backing band, but I’ ll also be bringing a longtime collaborator, Sam Barsh (a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer and keyboardist). “Sam and I had a band, which we pushed for many years, and it was a big part of my story. Although I’ m focusing on my solo projects, we still play music together and write music together, so it was important for me to bring him in from California. ” Palter describes her album as autobi- ographical. “I put what I have been living into this record from start to finish, ” she says. “It’ s the story of a Detroit- born, LA-based gal living in a big city trying to achieve her dreams and the frus- trations that come with that. I put the highs and lows into this music. ” Palter explains that the title of the album is a metaphor to explain her life, and she hopes it leaves a relatable trail for listeners. The song with the same title holds a very different meaning. The song is a nostalgic reflection of a love that didn’ t work out, but it com- municates insight into a relationship and appreciates it for what it was — a moment in time with somebody. “I’ m a very nostalgic person, and when I’ m home in Detroit, I go through my family videos and photo books, ” she says about the background for the song. “I came across a photo of myself and an old boyfriend. We were so happy in the photo, but he’ s somebody who’ s not in Myron Stein Stephen Sussman . the title of the moment The cast of playwright Myron Stein’ s Mystic Pavilion.